Abstract:
Abstract: The number of international students is immensely increasing in China
towards the internationalization of higher education. This tendency inspired the
emergence of teaching in multicultural classrooms (MCs), which is challenged by
the lack of innovative instructional strategies matching international students’
needs and preferences. This study reveals the experiences and challenges faced by
doctoral and master’s students in China. The researchers used a qualitative case
study where an in-depth interview with 12 international students was conducted.
Besides, classroom observation of six doctoral and master courses was documented.
The international students’ main challenges include: the university teachers use
of framing as the basis for their interaction, stereotyping as significant sources of
examples and illustrations, and cultural-biased knowledge sharing yet prejudice
towards the (under)-developing nations’ cultures. Consequently, this study calls for
a change in MCs’ used instructional strategies in Chinese universities. The university
teacher expertise (UTE) should include proper and more practical training.
Subjects: Educational Research; Education Studies; Higher Education
Keywords: instructional strategies; multicultural classrooms; mobility; higher
